Maryland Polar Bear Plunge forced online
Virus freezes out participants in 25th year
The Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge will go online next month, a first in the 25-year history of the popular event at Sandy Point State Park driven by the coronavirus pandemic.
Citing spikes in COVID-19 cases and anticipated escalation of those numbers in January, Special Olympics Maryland announced the decision Monday to cancel the in-person plunge. The event is a fundraiser for the nonprofit group that draws thousands of plungers who raise money in support of a dip in the chilly waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
Special Olympics Maryland encouraged all plungers to send in videos of them plunging for a two-month-long virtual competition, with weekly prizes for Plungers of the Week and ultimately determining the Plunger
of the Year. The virtual plunge will be held from Dec. 8 to Jan. 31. Anyone can participate in the event from anywhere.
“This was a very difficult decision to make but the health and safety of our Special Olympics Maryland community is of the utmost importance to us. Your support of the Polar Bear Plunge has a direct impact on the 8,716 athletes of Special Olympics Maryland,” organizers said in a statement released Monday.
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of athletic competitions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
The polar bear plunge raised $3.5 million in January, said Kira Northrop, Maryland Special Olympics Director of Media Relations.
Anne Arundel County police detective Tara Russ says the department looks forward to the plunge every year.
“We are planning to use large inflated pools and filling those with ice waters and having the recruits dunk in those,” Russ said. “For the whole department, we are anxious to find something where it is smalls groups and on different days.”
Russ believes a virtual event will mean more people will be able to participate this year.
“I plunge to show that my disability doesn’t define me. We say ‘you plunge, I play’ …well I plunge somy fellow athletes can play and I encourage all Marylanders do the virtual plunge so that our athletes can play,” longtime super plunger and Special Olympics athlete Adam Hays said.
Another longtime plunger, Bowie Police Chief John Nesky, is looking for creative ways to make a difference for Special Olympic athletes.
“While COVID has either canceled or reduced events, the one thing that has not been reduced is the needs of these athletes. Although competitions have been canceled, Special Olympics continues to provide support and engagement opportunities for the athletes,” Nesky said. “Wewill support our athletes through the Polar Bear Plunge in the virtual environment.”